Tanlines

Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen have been making escapist, joyful-sounding songs about sad, insular moments and melancholy songs about catharsis and joy since 2008. I will now briefly chart how their creative partnership has evolved over time, by very briefly describing each of their releases: Their debut EP Settings veered experimental electronic. Their first LP, 2012's Mixed Emotions, pushed their sounds towards what they called "existential pop." 2015's follow-up Highlights brought in more indie rock influences. In 2018, they bestowed a gift on parents-of-young children with their mellow synth-driven interpretations of children's classics on Presents. In 2023, they returned with a third album, The Big Mess, which is their debut album for Merge Records.